Catherine “Keddy” Coleman is the NASA astronaut who advised Sandra Bullock during filming of Alfonso Cuarón’s 2013 movie Gravity. In her book The Space Between, Coleman—who once served on the International Space Station (ISS)—explains that Bullock’s role and a real astronaut’s life on the ISS are very different.
Catherine Coleman (born 1960) is an American NASA astronaut, holds a Ph.D. in chemistry, and is a former officer in the U.S. Air Force. She served as part of Expedition 26 aboard the ISS in 2010–2011.
Operating in a super-heavy spacesuit can be a matter of life and death
According to Coleman, a female astronaut’s real life has little to do with Sandra Bullock’s “glamorous” image in Gravity.
Coleman described the painful process of putting on the bulky, one-size-fits-all suits used for spacewalks. In 2003, NASA eliminated the smallest size of its spacesuit, leaving only a single size intended to fit everyone. In practice, she says, it “fits all the guys.”
She added that a spacesuit for spacewalks is unlike any other clothing. “It’s difficult to work inside it, even if it fits perfectly, and when it’s too big—that’s another story. And don’t forget that your ability to act inside this suit is literally a matter of life and death,” Coleman wrote.
Putting on the suit takes about an hour and requires a team of specialists. First comes an adult diaper. It might not be strictly necessary, but it’s a precaution. Next is a standard sports bra, which “almost always shrinks beyond recognition in NASA’s industrial dryers.”
The next layer is long underwear that absorbs sweat and cushions the body from the suit’s rigid edges. Then comes the critically important layer: the LCVG (Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment). It’s a jumpsuit with many tubes woven into the fabric that carry water—like large veins.
“When you move around inside a suit that weighs about 130 kilograms, your body heats up quickly, and the LCVG lets you adjust your temperature using a hard-to-reach handle on the front,” Coleman said.
Almost finished — but not quite
The suit also includes elbow pads, knee pads, 8-centimeter thigh pads, a 10-centimeter groin pad, and a special belt. Only after those pieces are in place can the main part of the suit be put on.
“Since my agility is already limited by the water tubes pressed against my long underwear, I plop down on my butt and wriggle forward into the lower part of the spacesuit until my legs are inside the boots. Then—with a loud ‘one-two-three!’—the technicians help me to my feet,” Coleman writes.
She continues: “Supported by the brave technicians in their own suits, I walk a few feet and climb onto the platform, where I see the upper part of my spacesuit attached to a stand. Ducking down and tilting my head and shoulders back, I slide into its interior, first sticking out my arms and then my head, like a turtle. The technicians connect the upper and lower parts. They also put a communication cap on my head, which helps me talk to Flight Control.”
Final phase — gloves and helmet
“I push my fingers inside the glove lining, making sure the seams are turned outward, and I insert each finger into the corresponding slot. Then I put on the large, secured gloves,” Coleman writes, suggesting the end of the process is near. The last step is the helmet.
As Coleman explained, if your nose suddenly itches, you won’t be able to scratch it for the next few hours.
“I’m not at all like Sandra Bullock in Gravity, who slips into her spacesuit wearing little black shorts and a tank top before heading off to the stars. Rather, I resemble an awkward Egyptian mummy that just emerged from a tomb,” she jokes.
Sandra Bullock during filming of Alfonso Cuarón’s movie Gravity (2013).
Training for spacewalks usually takes place in a pool and lasts about six hours. The sessions demand intense concentration, and when astronauts are submerged they often don’t notice the suit’s discomfort.
At the end of the session, the astronaut removes each layer in reverse order, the Daily Mail reported.
“I’m always surprised when I see myself in the mirror afterward. My arms and legs are covered in red and purple bruises and scrapes. My nail beds are often damaged, which sometimes leads to losing a nail,” Coleman writes.
Technology for space travel keeps improving. Coleman suggests that when the first woman flies on NASA’s Artemis mission—planned for 2025—she will have a modernized spacesuit.
